Even if I Make It Roughly, Ex-rank Items Continue to Accumulate - Chapter 135

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Even Hastily Made Ones Keep Stacking Up as EX-Rank (135)

 

I’ve Already Seen It

 

Awakening.

 

Another gift given to humanity along with the Gate era.

 

The only means and method to confront the monsters, humanity’s newly emerged enemies.

 

Some call it God’s gift, while others refer to it as a blessing bestowed upon humanity itself for enduring tens of thousands of years.

 

What else could this ability to destroy the endlessly appearing Gates be if not a blessing?

 

However, such abilities didn’t contain only destructive power.

 

Combat Type and Non-Combat Type.

 

Awakening was broadly divided into these two classifications.

 

Moreover, this wasn’t the end – the subcategories beneath them were countless beyond measure. Crafting Type, Construction Type, Magic Type, Assassination Type…

 

And among them, there was one type that was considered quite unique.

 

‘Mental Type.’

 

Others’ brains.

 

It was that vicious and bizarre ability to directly access that organ which controls all bodily functions and freely manipulate the control over mana circuits.

 

Once afflicted by it, one could never escape.

 

Even if they did escape, they would have to live the rest of their lives as a cripple.

 

As such, public perception of Mental Type awakeners was poor, and eventually they banded together as one group to antagonize other humans.

 

That group was precisely…

 

“Jeolmong Society.”

 

…China’s massive guild, the Jeolmong Society (Dream Severing Society).

 

“After hearing your words, Lee Si-hyeok, we thoroughly investigated the Guardian Hunter’s activities and discovered connections to the Jeolmong Society.”

 

Lee Si-hyeok darkened his gaze and listened intently to Team Leader Choi In-hwan’s story. His eyes were so chillingly cold that even Lumibra beside him shuddered.

 

“First, discovering communication devices with the Jeolmong Society in the Guardian Hunter’s mansion was the starting point.”

 

Team Leader Choi In-hwan placed a small piece of letter paper on the table.

 

“This is…”

 

“It’s a unique communication device used by the Jeolmong Society. It was hidden in the mansion basement.”

 

It was an extremely old piece of letter paper, yellowed and discolored in various places. To the extent that others would treat it as mere trash.

 

However, when Lee Si-hyeok stared precisely at its center, the point where mana had gathered, Team Leader Choi In-hwan let out a small exclamation of admiration.

 

“…As expected, you recognize it.”

 

“Yes. It doesn’t seem like they exchanged messages just once or twice. They must have sent at least dozens back and forth.”

 

“Dozens of times? Can you… determine that as well?”

 

Team Leader Choi In-hwan asked back in apparent bewilderment at Lee Si-hyeok’s subsequent words. You can tell even that? The Association had barely managed to recognize it as a communication device.

 

“To some extent, yes.”

 

“Huh…”

 

“Anyway, what’s next? This can’t be everything.”

 

“Ah, right. In any case, starting with that letter, we began investigating various activities of the Guardian Hunter. We didn’t forget your advice to ‘take a close look.'”

 

From the Guardian’s movements over several years to even trivial remarks.

 

The Association investigated all of it.

 

As a result, they were able to discover one surprising fact.

 

The large-scale spy search operation that began with the recently arrested ‘Lian Xiaojin’ from the Absolute Dream Guild.

 

The fact that many of the spies arrested at that time were connected to the Guardian Hunter.

 

“We were also quite shocked when we discovered that. We had arrested Chinese spies who had entered Korea, but their entry routes and such were mysterious.”

 

“Are you saying that was connected to that Pasuin bastard?”

 

“It’s not just connected. It was revealed that the Guardian Hunter actually led most of it. We’re speculating that he probably held quite a high position in the Absolute Dream Guild as well.”

 

Lee Si-hyeok quietly swallowed.

 

Psychic type skills. When he discovered that, he wondered if it might be related to the Absolute Dream Guild somehow, but he never expected it to be connected this deeply.

 

He thought it was good that he had responded actively at that time.

 

A question suddenly came to mind.

 

“But isn’t the Guardian Hunter affiliated with the Association? Did the Association know nothing about these facts?”

 

“Well… actually, someone at the Guardian Hunter’s level is impossible for our Association to control. An S-rank Hunter is an existence that can match even a nation by itself…”

 

“So the Association was only in a supporting position, is that it?”

 

“Yes, that’s exactly right. Moreover, since the Guardian Hunter was a Hunter who had been with us since the early days of the Association’s establishment, he would have known well about the Association’s vulnerabilities.”

 

Thinking about it that way, it made some sense.

 

There are fewer than 5 S-rank Hunters in South Korea. The Association would have found it awkward to approach him. Even if there were suspicious aspects, they would have had no choice but to cover them up, and Pasuin would have skillfully avoided them like a cunning snake.

 

“…”

 

Lee Si-hyeok relaxed his expression and looked around the room.

 

Being continuously entangled with the Absolute Dream Guild was troublesome, but the situation itself wasn’t bad.

 

They don’t know it, but Lee Si-hyeok currently has two additional forces.

 

Namely, Lumibra and that Golem fellow.

 

As long as those two beings existed, Lee Si-hyeok had no intention of being easily defeated. Rather, now when they don’t know about them would be the perfect time to pay them back.

 

As he organized his thoughts this way, a smile appeared on his lips.

 

When he smiled despite hearing an explanation about a crisis situation, Team Leader Choi In-hwan seemed flustered and raised his eyebrows, but Lee Si-hyeok continued looking around.

 

The place where he was located was the underground 5th floor of the Association Headquarters.

 

The prison where he had visited to meet Pyo Jae-hwan right after the Eterion incident ended was on the underground 9th floor, so this was a space not far from there.

 

As such, the atmosphere was also similar.

 

It was gloomy and dark, damp and cool.

 

However, if there was one difference, it was that several laboratories with glass walls were arranged instead of rusty iron prisons.

 

Like the isolation rooms of a psychiatric ward.

 

“Where is the Guardian Hunter?”

 

Lee Si-hyeok asked as he passed by one laboratory. Inside, a man in a restraint suit was drooling with his mouth open, and Lumibra, who had been quiet until now, frowned as if disgusted.

 

“He’s in the last room. But… it would be better if you didn’t look.”

 

“Why?”

 

“His condition is quite miserable. I guided you here to show you for now, but we’ve been examining his mana circuits for investigation, so it might be quite disturbing…”

 

Did they dissect his body?

 

Team Leader Choi In-hwan mumbled his words, but Lee Si-hyeok immediately understood the meaning.

 

When it was revealed that the Guardian Hunter was a spy for the Absolute Dream Guild, the Association was analyzing his true nature in detail without hesitation.

 

To think that this was the end of the people’s hero who was revered as a holy knight.

 

“…”

 

He felt a strange emotion.

 

Lee Si-hyeok had also admired the Guardian of Light when he was young.

 

Watching his figure emit brilliant light through the TV screen, he had dreamed of becoming such an awakened one someday.

 

‘It’s not as spectacular as I thought.’

 

Lee Si-hyeok clicked his tongue and turned around. He had no intention of feeling sympathy. In the end, it was like watching someone collapse a tower they had painstakingly built with their own hands.

 

Soon, Team Leader Choi In-hwan, who had been standing anxiously, brightened his expression and followed behind.

 

“You made a wise decision! I’ll send you the results report right away, so it would be better to check with that.”

 

“You don’t need to send it.”

 

“As quickly as possible… Excuse me?”

 

He quickly passed by Team Leader Choi In-hwan, who tilted his head in confusion.

 

“I already saw it.”

 

Already.

 

In Lee Si-hyeok’s eyes, the image of the Guardian Hunter restrained on the experiment table was vividly drawn.

 

Starting from the mana circuits, everything about it.

 

[Ending 『Eyes that Pierce the Essence』.]

 

Leaving the bewildered Team Leader Choi In-hwan behind, he exited the underground area.

 

* * *

 

“Are you going back now?”

 

When he came up to the first floor of the headquarters, Lumibra asked as if it had been waiting. It felt admirable that it had tactfully waited during the long conversation.

 

‘…If only it weren’t for that appearance.’

 

It seemed like being a dragon would have been better.

 

Back then, it was intimidating but not frightening.

 

Rather, compared to now, that time was nothing. Seeing the hairy middle-aged man pouting his lips as if frustrated, he felt like mortal terror was approaching.

 

Lee Si-hyeok answered while walking a step away.

 

“No, not yet. There’s still one place I need to go.”

 

“Hmm? Me too?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Didn’t you say I should stay hidden as much as possible?”

 

“I did say that. But you already revealed yourself on your own, didn’t you? When I checked the internet on the way here, you were photographed all over the place.”

 

“Oh! Did I become famous?”

 

“It’s not something to be happy about.”

 

“Ahem. Still, I’m curious. How much they must be praising my strength, how much they’re talking about me, the first artifact of the Great Creator…”

 

“See for yourself.”

 

“Yes, good!”

 

However, Lumibra’s face soon turned pale after checking the smartphone it received. After some clumsy operation, it scrolled down to check the full news article.

 

“A, a pervert appears in central Seoul…?”

 

“How busy were you running around that verification shots are posted in every neighborhood? Ugh, it looks even more disgusting in photos.”

 

“…”

 

I quickly caught the phone that was about to slip from Lumibra’s speechless hands.

 

Lee Si-hyeok chuckled as he put the phone away.

 

“It’s fortunate, really. Because of this, even all the articles about the Gate conquest got completely buried.”

 

The outfit was so shocking that it even overshadowed the news of a single person conquering a high-level A-rank Gate, which should have received more attention.

 

That’s probably why the Association sent it so quickly too.

 

Since it didn’t become as much of a topic as expected.

 

“Kheuk…”

 

Lumibra trudged along behind him, slumped over as if having received a great shock.

 

‘No matter how I think about it, she’d get along well with the Snow Flame Empress.’

 

Not just the way of speaking, but they have too many similar behaviors like that.

 

Is it because neither of them are from Earth?

 

He was thinking that he’d like to see the two of them meet someday when he was about to exit the building.

 

At the entrance, he encountered a familiar face.

 

“Team Leader Kim Seung-hyeon?”

 

“Haha, nice to see you, Mr. Lee Si-hyeok.”

 

As soon as he called that name, the man greeted him as if he had been waiting.

 

Lee Si-hyeok asked with suspicion.

 

“Don’t tell me you were waiting here?”

 

“No, no. I just came out briefly for some business, and when I heard that Mr. Lee Si-hyeok had come to headquarters, I thought I’d just say hello.”

 

No, this is so burdensome.

 

When he looked at him with displeasure, Team Leader Kim Seung-hyeon waved his hands.

 

“This is a bit…”

 

“Hahaha, it absolutely wasn’t on purpose, so you don’t need to look at me like that. By the way, is the person next to you the one who conquered the Gate this time?”

 

Lumibra nodded from behind. Team Leader Kim Seung-hyeon immediately bowed.

 

“Thank you once again. Thanks to you, the situation could be resolved without any damage.”

 

After that, brief pleasantries were exchanged.

 

Whether his words about just coming to see his face were sincere, there was no particular news.

 

As the conversation was wrapping up, Lee Si-hyeok, who had been looking around, tilted his head and asked.

 

“Didn’t Deputy Han Da-hee come with you? Since I’m meeting you anyway, Team Leader, I’d like to greet her before I go.”

 

“Ah, Deputy Han Da-hee isn’t at the Association right now.”

 

“She’s not there?”

 

“Yes. To be precise, it would be more accurate to say she’s not in Korea.”

 

Team Leader Kim Seung-hyeon tapped his chin.

 

“When the Hunters who went to China for the ‘Pale Artist Retrieval Operation’ returned, only Deputy Han Da-hee didn’t come back alone.”

 

“…Then you’re saying she’s in China?”

 

“That’s right. Since Deputy Han was the only one who remained fine until the end, we entrusted her with wrapping up the incident, and she said she had personal business in China too? Anyway, that’s why she’s still there.”

 

Come to think of it, when he treated the Hunters’ mental breakdowns, he hadn’t seen Deputy Han Da-hee.

 

‘So that’s why?’

 

Lee Si-hyeok nodded in understanding, then shook hands with Team Leader Kim Seung-hyeon before parting ways.

 

On the way from the building to the parking lot, Lumibra asked a question.

 

“So where are we going now?”

 

“There’s someone I’d like to introduce to you, Lumibra-nim.”

 

“To me?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Clatter.

 

As Lee Si-hyeok climbed into the truck with a smile tugging at his lips, one being came vividly to mind.

 

〔Necrosis〕.

 

The Deep Sea Bunker in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province.

 

He intended to let that creature, trapped alone in that place, finally meet its true body that it had been waiting for so long.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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